Former President Bill Clinton and Former President George W. Bush Launch Television PSA to Support Victims of Earthquake in Haiti

PSA Encourages all Americans to donate to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

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Jan 19, 2010, 04:20 ET

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, President Obama asked former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to help raise funds for the immediate relief and long-term recovery efforts in Haiti. In a television PSA released by the Ad Council today, the two Presidents encourage all Americans to donate to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (CBHF), which will help those who are most in need of food, water, shelter, medical care and support.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/42039/

The TV spot directs viewers to visit www.ClintonBushHaitiFund.org where they can donate to CBHF through a secure online donation page. Americans can also donate by text messaging the word "QUAKE" to 20222, which will charge $10 to their cell phone bill. The PSA is available in :30 format and was filmed in the Roosevelt Room in the White House on Saturday, January 16.

"I still believe that Haiti can move beyond its troubled history and this lethal earthquake to emerge a stronger, more secure nation," President Bill Clinton said. "But we can't do it with government support alone: ordinary citizens must fill in the gaps. Little donations make a big difference."

"American citizens and businesses have a tradition of responding to natural disasters with extraordinary generosity," President George W. Bush said. "President Clinton and I are working to tap that spirit of giving to help our neighbors in need in Haiti. I thank the Ad Council for distributing this PSA so that we can get the word out about how to help."

CBHF is designed to identify and fulfill unmet needs, foster economic opportunity, improve the quality of life of those affected over the long term and assist the people of Haiti as they rebuild their lives and country. Presidents Clinton and Bush oversee the Fund through their respective non-profit organizations, the William J. Clinton Foundation and Communities Foundation of Texas. One hundred percent of the donations made to the Clinton Foundation and the Communities Foundation of Texas will go directly to relief efforts.

"We are proud to join with former Presidents Clinton and Bush to raise awareness of their critical relief efforts, which will help the people in Haiti rebuild their lives," according to Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of the Ad Council. "We are confident that just as when we partnered with the former Presidents after the Tsunami and Katrina tragedies, the American media will generously support this PSA and it will motivate Americans throughout the country to donate to the relief effort."

The Ad Council is distributing the PSA to television stations nationwide. Per the Ad Council's model, the PSA will air in advertising time that is donated by the media.

Immediately following last week's earthquake, the Ad Council joined with the American Red Cross and First Lady Michelle Obama to launch television and radio PSAs featuring Mrs. Obama in support of the Red Cross's relief efforts. Additionally, the Ad Council helped produce and distribute PSAs in partnership with Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton following the Tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The following companies have donated production and digital distribution services for the new PSA: GSD&M Idea City, Magno Sound & Video, DG-FastChannel Network and The AdSpot. Furthermore, the National Captioning Institute has donated their closed captioning services.

Additionally, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) have offered their support by engaging their members and helping with PSA distribution.

For more information about CBHF, visit www.ClintonBushHaitiFund.org, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/clintonbushhaitifund or follow the Fund on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cbhaitifund.

The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer efforts from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public.

SOURCE The Ad Council